


Cold Feet

by GoldenThreads



Category: New Mutants, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: F/M, Morning Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 08:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1130445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenThreads/pseuds/GoldenThreads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lazy winter morning in bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Feet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ClintFuckingBarton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClintFuckingBarton/gifts).



By the time the lazy winter sun finally peeked in through the window, Doug had been awake for well over an hour. He kept a stack of books on the bedside table for when sleep failed him, but today they laid untouched. Not a single distraction was worthwhile, not with such wonderful company slumbering aside him.

It would be terribly cliche for him to admit how much he loved watching Rahne sleep — the kind of thing only Warlock could say with a straight face. But that didn’t make it any less true. Every soft breath, every gentle flutter of her eyelids was infinitely more interesting than the books would ever be, and even when Doug tried to read, he ended up turning on his side to watch her anyway.

Rituals of domesticity weren’t meant to catch his breath in his throat, make his fingers ache with such agonizing longing every moment he wasn’t touching her. When he couldn’t bear it, he’d reach out and brush his fingers over the wayward tufts of her messy hair, smoothing it down as he took care not to wake her, never to wake her. Only now did he feel truly calm, focused and centered and so sure of himself, of her.

The sunlight roamed across their bed and reached Rahne’s eyes at last, drawing a hiss as she rolled away to hide from the day. But soon the winter chill had her squirming back towards Doug instead, burrowing into the blankets and burying her face against his warm chest. With a smile, he pulled her close, and a careful tilt of his shoulder managed to block out most of the light.

Rahne mewled like an affronted kitten, face scrunched up as her feet kicked his away, and in her half-dream she wailed, “Yuir feet are cold as th’ grave.”

Doug’s jaw dropped, and he only narrowly avoided a mouthful of hair as he pressed his face against the top of her head to muffle his shocked, incredulous laughter. He entwined his legs with hers in vengeance, poking at her with freezing toes, and though she whined pitifully she made no move to escape.

“You’ll just have to warm me up, then,” he teased, rolling over so she rested on top of him. She nosed against his collarbone for a moment as she tried to get comfortable, and settled immediately when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

It was so easy for Doug to forget how much smaller than him she was. With her head tucked under his chin, her feet only barely reached his, and this time she’d curled up tight to avoid them. Rahne had such presence, ferocity enough to astound, heart enough to break, stronger and more assured than he’d ever be. Laughable, really, to think she’d ever need his protection.

She dozed for another ten minutes, warm and content.

Then Rahne’s eyes opened wide and she lifted her head to stare at him. He raised an eyebrow. She blanched, hiding her face against his chest.

“Oh muh God.”

Doug laughed once more, so deeply she felt it rumble against her cheek. He reached up to run a hand through her hair, massaging at her scalp in apology for his laughter. “It’s fine, really it’s fine.” Such metaphors didn’t draw misery anymore, only mirth at how careful everyone was to avoid them.

She made a tiny, pleased noise in answer, lulled back to the brink of slumber by his clever fingers.

“Rahne, Rahne, start your day,” he sang, twisting the old nursery rhyme, “The sun is up and here to stay.”

No response.

Doug glanced at the window and decided the day could wait. He pulled up the blankets, careful not to disturb Rahne as he built a fort around them with all the pillows in arm’s reach. If nothing else, he could block out the sun to protect her sleep.

 

 

They only woke up two hours later when the fort collapsed on them both.


End file.
